Pretentious
by SunnyMagicKingdom
Summary: "I am willing to pay your medical school fees if you agree to be my pretend girlfriend." Sasuke Uchiha was the heir to the Uchiha Corporation who needed to escape an arranged marriage and Sakura Haruno was a distressed college student with big dreams. Sakura was brought into a world of luxury and surviving as Sasuke's girlfriend might lead to an unexpected turn. (AU)
1. A Signed Agreement

Author's Note: Hello, again! For those who are following my other fanfics, I must apologize for the slow update. With my current workload, I am unable to update regularly and I am truly sorry for that! But do enjoy this new story because I am really excited to see how this plot will develop. I am looking forward to everyone's support! Thanks in advance!

Chapter 1: A Signed Agreement

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

" _Money can't buy happiness."_

That was the saying I hear all the time. I would agree in a heartbeat if it were a few years back when I was still young and naïve, and dared to dream big without a fear of failing. As a child, I believed things would go the way I wanted if I always held my dreams and ambitions firmly in my heart.

But of course, once you stepped out from your dreamy childhood, reality would slap you across the face.

I was a 21 years old pathetic young lady who was a medical student in the morning and a part-time waitress in a local restaurant at night. I came from a middle-class family who had financial difficulties in paying for my extremely high medical school fees. I did exceptionally well back in high school and managed to get into Japan's best medical school. But the high-quality education came with an almost unaffordable school fee. Hence, despite having to work every single night to make sure my family and I could still afford to pay my school fees, I insisted on continuing medical school because it was my dream.

The world might not be an easy place to live in but if I were to give up on my dreams to be a doctor, I would lose my direction in life. For as long as I lived, I would never allow that to happen, that was for sure.

I would still sigh whenever I thought of how I still had three more years before graduating from medical school though.

I only had enough time to take a quick shower and dinner at home after my lectures when I had to go to my part-time job. The local Japanese restaurant I was working in was fifteen minutes' walk from home. The place was decent but it has a grumpy and unreasonable boss. If it weren't for the fact that it paid quite well and I needed the money, I would have quitted already.

But I survived half a year already and I was proud of myself for that.

Work was normal for the first two hours of my shift. That was until I heard a commotion and what sounded like shattering glass from one of the tables near the door. I rushed to where it was and saw a huge man with tattoos all over his arms threatening to hit the waitress who was on the same shift as I was.

I ran up to them and demanded an explanation for the customer's behaviour.

"What's going on here?!" I stood in front of the shaking waitress who was clenching onto a tray in a defensive manner. The broken glass on the floor and the water stain on the customer's trousers explained most of the situation though.

The customer was glaring at me as he took a step forward, "This little girl has caused a mess and I demand a compensation!"

"I-I'm s-sorry!" The timid waitress' voice was shaking so bad as she tried to form coherent words.

I found it ridiculous for that customer to cause a big fuss over spilled plain water but I still tried to remain calm and polite. I once raised my voice at an unreasonable customer once and my boss threatened to fire me there and then.

"It was an accident and she has already apologized. We will clean this mess right away." I managed to form a small smile and I could imagine how painfully fake it must have seemed.

"You think a simple apology is enough?!" The customer's glare was flaring with anger and I could hear my colleague squealing in fear behind me.

A nerve or two inside me snapped and once again, I raised my voice at a customer.

"Look, sir, it is just plain water. Do you need to cause such a huge fuss over it?" I completely removed my disgusting fake smile and glared back at the man in front of me who was far from amused over what I had just said.

He was obviously leveraging this chance to gain some sort of monetary compensation for the 'damage' caused.

"You little b-" The man raised his arm and was going to land a punch at me but I got hold onto his wrist and twisted it to his back. I pushed him down onto the floor and held both his hands together to prevent him from escaping. I had always been glad that I took up martial arts classes since I was three years old at times like these.

"You should stop bullying others who are smaller than you and be a real man." I had a strong urge to punch the daylight out of the man I had held captive but something told me I was in more than enough trouble already.

"Sakura Haruno!" I flinched a little when I heard the scream of my boss. I let go of the man and looked towards my furious boss. The skinny middle-aged man had his fists clenched tightly and was glaring daggers at me.

I quickly tried to explain the situation to my boss despite having almost no confidence that he would listen to my reasoning.

"He was being unreasonable and was going to hit me! I had to do what I did to defend myself."

My boss angrily walked towards me and yelled at my face, "That does not give you the rights to lay your hands on the customer! I have warned you previously, Haruno. You are fired!"

And that was how I lost my chance to continue medical school.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

"That's the girl you told me about?" I was sitting at the corner of a local Japanese restaurant with Shikamaru, watching the whole commotion between the pink haired girl and a thug while having some warm tea.

Shikamaru nodded as he rested his arms behind his head, "Now that she got fired from her one and only job, it's the perfect chance for you to execute your plan."

"I'm still not sure about this." Shikamaru had the brains and even though I hated to admit it, he was much better than me in coming up with plans. But that didn't prevent me from having second thoughts about his 'masterplan' to get me out of the situation I was in.

"Can you stop being so troublesome and just do it already?" Shikamaru was grumbling under his breath about all the troubles I was giving him and how he wished he was sleeping at home at that time. "You can continue hesitating if you want to marry that crazy woman, Karin."

I shuddered at the thought of marrying that insane and mentally problematic woman and refreshed my thoughts on how I ended up sitting on a local restaurant practically stalking a stranger.

 _Flashback_

"Your engagement to Karin Uzumaki will ensure great success to our company."

That was what my father said out of nowhere during dinner a week ago in the presence of my mother and Itachi as well. I was completely stunned and speechless, not knowing how to react or what to say.

All I could think of was how I would never allow myself to marry a woman who acts like she had a loose wire in her head.

"No way." My answer was to be expected and my father sighed before speaking again.

"It's your responsibility as the heir of the company to ensure a stable partnership with a family like the Uzumaki." My father made marriage sound like a game and it was beyond disturbing.

Now I understood why Itachi decided to build his own career instead of taking over the family company.

"That's ridiculous. Marriage is not the only way to ensure stable partnerships. I didn't go through four years of business school to achieve success in my career through an empty marriage." I was on the verge of raising my voice but I knew better than to be rude towards my father.

"Can you stop being so naïve, Sasuke?" My father was starting to feel frustrated and I could see my mother starting to get worried over the situation at hand.

"I'm not being naïve. I am confident of my own abilities to bring the company forward without this marriage."

I could see my father was not convinced and I had a feeling I might regret what I was going to say next.

"Moreover, I'm already in a serious relationship."

 _Flashback_

"If you don't show your father this 'girlfriend' of yours, he will definitely lose trust in you. Why in the world did you tell such a troublesome lie?" Shikamaru sighed for the thousandth time as he watched the girl named Sakura yelling at her boss.

"Why do you think that girl is the best person to be my 'girlfriend'?" I found it amusing how that girl easily subdued the thug and the way she stood up for herself was interesting too.

"With her looks, brains and personality, it'll at least be believable to say that you're in a relationship with her. The best part is, she needs money to go through medical school and her current financial state is not supportive. If you bind her through monetary means, it is easy to gain her cooperation for the trouble you caused. And plus, it has to be someone that your circle of friends and family do not know or else the lie would be too obvious."

"How in the world did you know all these?" I knew Shikamaru didn't know her personally so it was in a way creepy how he knew her that well.

"She's Ino's best friend and I heard these from her."

"I see. So, you got these information from your girl."

"Uchiha, I am helping you with your shit so you better shut your trap."

I smirked at how Shikamaru reacted when my words reminded me of his not-so-clear relationship with that loud blonde. But then again, Shikamaru was being a better friend than I expected by helping me out on such short notice.

"Anyways, like I said, now that Sakura had lost her only job, I am even more confident that she would agree to help you out."

Shikamaru and I watched Sakura walking out of the restaurant after she retrieved her bag from the locker room. She had completely given up on trying to reason out with her boss. Well, ex-boss as of then.

"It's now or never."

With that said, I placed some money on the table and left the restaurant to talk to my soon-to-be 'girlfriend'.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"Unbelievable! How can such an unreasonable person exist?!"

I yelled at the top of my lungs as I walked through the streets, ignoring the weird looks of some customers who had just left the restaurant which had officially became my ex-workplace.

All I wanted was to get home as quickly as I could and take a long warm bath. And then I would worry about my school fees afterwards.

I was just contemplating about my regrets on not punching the soul out of my ex-boss when an unfamiliar voice called out to me from behind.

"Sakura Haruno."

I stopped right on my tracks before turning around to see who it was. Once I made eye contact with the person calling out to me, I swore my heart skipped a beat or two.

His raven hair was almost glowing under the moonlight and his dark eyes were deep and mysterious. He had a strong built and appeared strong without a doubt. His suit hugged his muscled chest well and it made his shoulders appear broad too. And the way he was staring right into my eyes didn't make me any less drawn.

"You're Sakura Haruno, right?"

The way he said my name was nice in a way I couldn't describe. His deep voice easily led me to a daze but I quickly composed myself to avoid becoming an utter embarrassment.

"Yes. Who are you and how do you know my name?" Even though the mysterious man was by far the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on, I knew better than to let my guard down in case he was a dangerous person.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha and I am here with a business offer for you."

I stared at the man with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Even though everything sounded suspicious, something about that man told me that I should be interested in what he had to say.

He took a few more steps towards me and looked around to see if there were anyone around. When he made sure it was just him and I in the dark streets in 11PM at the middle of the night, he finally indulged me in more details.

"I am willing to pay your medical school fees if you agree to be my pretend girlfriend."

 _What?_

I had to refrain myself from screaming in shock over what I had heard. Someone offered to settle one of the biggest problems of my life and it happened out of nowhere. It was too good to be true and everything became even more suspicious.

How in the world did this man even knew about my school fee problem?

"Who exactly are you and how did you know about me?" I stayed alert just in case it happened to be a kidnapping attempt. This Sasuke person seemed tough but I wasn't too bad myself.

"I am the heir to the Uchiha Corporation and my father have been pestering me about an arranged marriage I wanted nothing to do with. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I had accidentally told my father that I am currently in a relationship, which is untrue."

"And now you're looking for someone to pretend to be this 'girlfriend' of yours." I finished off Sasuke's explanation matter-of-factly and somewhat believed that he wasn't attempting to kidnap me. I heard of the Uchiha Corporation, of course. It was one of the largest corporate in Japan and they had countless businesses all over the country and even overseas.

And looking at Sasuke, he looked like a prince who was going to inherit an empire like the Uchiha Corporation.

"Then why did you approach me? We don't even know each other." For someone with a social status as high as Sasuke could easily get some supermodel or idol to be his pretend girlfriend.

I was just an average pink-haired fierce weirdo who couldn't even pay her school fees.

"Us not knowing each other is one of the reasons why I chose you. I heard about you from a close friend of mine who apparently knows your best friend, Ino, well. He told me that you need money and seeing what just happened back in your workplace, you need it even more now."

"Ino?" At the mention of Ino, I assumed Shikamaru was the close friend Sasuke was referring to. Shikamaru came from a wealthy family as well and I assumed he must be from a similar circle of friends with Sasuke. But then, there was something else Sasuke had said that surprised me.

"Hang on, were you stalking me back in the restaurant?" I narrowed my eyes at Sasuke who had not changed his expression since the first time he came up to me.

"I wouldn't call it stalking. I prefer to call it observing."

I was at a loss for words and simply shrugged it off. I still wasn't sure if I should agree to the offer because it was just way too sudden.

"I won't be surprised if you still find this suspicious. Hence, I have prepared a contract for this business transaction." Sasuke took a transparent file from his briefcase and handed it to me. "The document inside two copies of the same contract which I had already signed on. I encourage you to look through it in detail to avoid potential conflicts if you were to agree to assist me."

I scan through the five pages of documents and realized that the business offer was legit. It didn't look like some sort of scam.

"I would like to give you more time to consider this offer but time is not in my hands right now. So, I would need your response as soon as possible."

I put the document back into the file before looking straight into Sasuke's eyes one more time. It was as if I was looking for final confirmation of what I was going to say next.

"It's a deal."

I took a pen out from my bag and signed on the both copies of the contract before returning one of them to Sasuke. I kept the other one in my bag, reminding myself to read through the seemingly detailed contract.

"Perfect. Your first task starts tomorrow morning." I nodded and mentally confirmed that I didn't have anything planned on Saturday morning.

"What are we doing tomorrow?"

Sasuke properly placed his copy of the contract into his briefcase before giving more details about the next day, "We'll use the entire morning and afternoon to get to know each other, sort out our 'story' and all those things. Then we'll be having dinner with my family in the evening."

I unconsciously gulped in nervousness and was regretting my decision for a second. But thinking of how much I needed the money, I took a deep breath and stop thinking too much.

Once those were said, Sasuke took out his car keys and walked towards the direction of where I assumed he parked his car. Before he walked away, he turned to me and said the unexpected.

"Goodnight, babe."

I blushed furiously and I could feel my ears burning. The smirk on his face obviously told me that he was teasing me. I could feel my heart stupidly thumping hard on my chest and I was mentally scolding myself for being weak.

Then I was reminded of a line on the contract that was bolded for emphasis.

" _ **Do not fall in love with me."**_

I wouldn't, right?

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for reading and look forward to chapter 2! Remember to review, follow and click on the favourite button if you love this story. Your opinions and thoughts mean a whole lot to me! See you in the next chapter!


	2. Lovers' Introduction

Author's Note: I'm so happy to see so many supportive readers! I truly appreciate everyone's inputs to this story. And yes, I am a huge fan of the Sasuke/Sakura pairing, but don't worry, Naruto will definitely play an important role to this story. And I would be continuing this story in first POV for the time being but for the Guest reviewer who suggested the story to be in third POV, I will take it into consideration!

And to those who are following other stories, don't worry! I promise I will finish them but I do have to apologize for the long wait. Really sorry!

So, here's chapter 2 and hope you'll all enjoy it!

Chapter 2: Lovers' Introduction

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

The contract had more details than I initially thought.

I laid down on my bed after my much-needed shower and read through the complicated contract I had signed a while ago. Some of the most important points to take note of were typed in bold letters to make sure I wouldn't miss it. Apparently, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone that my relationship with Sasuke was a lie. It was emphasized that I should tell absolutely nobody, including my parents and my closest friends.

I sighed as I thought of how I was supposed to face Ino about it. She would see through me easily. But then again, the contract stated that I would not get my money if I were to expose the lie to anybody at all.

And I simply could not let that happen.

I was on the last page of the contract when I heard the loud yelling of a certain blonde that was not Ino Yamanaka.

"Sakura! Are you still awake?!"

I cursed under my breath as I placed the contract into my bedside counter before running downstairs to the person who never understood what it meant by keeping his voice down.

I opened the door to my house and closed it as gently as I could before I ran to the blonde who was standing a few meters away from where I was.

"Naruto Uzumaki! It's past 12 AM already, can't you keep your voice down?!"

Naruto was my neighbour for as long as I could remember, making him the first friend I ever made. He had always been that loud, annoying and more than often frustrating friend you wanted nothing to do with. Despite those, however, Naruto had always been one of my closest friends who was always there for me through my ups and downs.

He was still annoying and beyond uncontrollable though.

Naruto was grinning stupidly as he apologized for being loud when most people were already fast asleep. He would still do the same though, that had always been the case.

"I had just finished my part-time job over at the bakery and decided to drop by and ask if you want to hang out tomorrow?" Naruto was full of excitement, almost making me feel bad to tell him that I already had plans.

"Sorry, Naruto. I already made plans for tomorrow." I felt guilty when I saw him grin turning into a frown almost instantly, but I had no other choice.

"Are you going to hang out with Ino instead of me again?" Naruto cling onto my arm and pretended to sob like a child. I rolled my eyes at his act and pushed him away before landing a punch on his arm.

"I'll hang out with you some other time soon, goodnight now!" I ignored Naruto's question and hurriedly left for my room. I still had no idea how to bring up to Naruto about Sasuke without exposing any part of the lie. Naruto might be dumb at times, but he was one of the few people who knew me well.

One wrong move and he might start to become suspicious.

And I would be doomed if I were to let that happen.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

I messaged Sakura last night and asked to meet at a restaurant at 11AM. I had on a plain light grey button-up shirt with a pair of black trousers and took one last look on the mirror before leaving my room. Even though Shikamaru insisted that I was narcistic, I strongly disagreed.

I just wanted to make sure I appeared presentable before leaving the house.

I met my parents and older brother downstairs as I was leaving. They were sitting on the sofa of the living room and had all their attention on me when I walked passed.

"Where are you going so early in the morning, Sasuke?" Itachi spoke as if he knew where I was going but asked for the sake of teasing me. It had been bothering me that he might had seen through my lie from the beginning but simply played along for his own entertainment.

I just hoped he wouldn't poke his nose into my business too much.

"Going out." My vague answer had caught the attention of my parents, who were now becoming more curious as to where I was heading to.

"Are you going to meet your girlfriend?" My mother's face lit up in an instant and was excitedly waiting for my answer. She was giggling to herself when I nodded.

My father had a smirk on his face as he spoke, "I'm looking forward to meet her tonight. I will consider cancelling your engagement plans with Karin if the dinner goes well."

I told myself I must make the best out of tonight's dinner if I wanted to save myself from my father's ridiculous plans. I excused myself and left to the garage where my car was.

I arrived at the restaurant earlier than Sakura and found us a seat by the windows. I only had to wait for several minutes before my eyes caught sight of pink hair.

Never for a second I thought Sakura was bad-looking when throughout my interaction with her the night before. But she looked different when I laid eyes on her in the restaurant. I guessed anyone would look better when he or she wasn't mad.

She wore a simple dark blue blouse with a white skirt which reached above her knees. She had her hair down which reached few inches passed her shoulders. A small smile was across her face when she caught sight of me, which somehow told me that she was in a decent mood that day.

"Good morning." Sakura sat down in front of me, not looking like someone who just lost her job last night.

A waitress came over with menus and left once we placed our orders. I took a deep breath before getting down to business. There were still much to be done to prepare ourselves for tonight.

"Tell me more about yourself." I started with the foundation of our 'relationship'. I couldn't begin to imagine how awkward it would be if I couldn't even answer simple things about my 'girlfriend'.

"I assume you already know my full name. I am 21 years old, currently in my third year of medical school. I have been practicing martial arts since I was 3 years old and I enjoy reading during my free time." Sakura paused for a while before asking. "What else do you want to know?"

"Tell me more about your family and childhood." I sounded like I was interrogating a criminal but Sakura didn't seem to mind or notice in the first place.

"I'm an only child and I live with my parents. My father is a high school biology teacher and my mother is a nurse. There's nothing interesting about my childhood though. But I do have two childhood friends who are still my closest friends right now."

"And one of them is Ino, I assume?" I asked as the waitress came over with our orders. Sakura thanked the waitress before giving me a weird look.

"I still find it creepy how you know about these things. What else do you know about me?" Sakura looked at me as if I was some sort of creepy stalker who had been constantly looking through all her social media accounts.

I took a sip of water before answering, "I just happen to know about a thing or two, I did not and have no intention of stalking you. So, you better cooperate and tell me everything I might need to know about you."

Sakura rolled her eyes disapprovingly before continuing to tell more about herself, "I scored first place for the national high school final examination back in my school and for the entrance examination for the current medical school I am attending. It was what got me my scholarship in my first year of college. But due to conflict between the university and the donor of the scholarship, the scholarship was discontinued and I ended up in the state I am in right now. Unfortunately for me, there weren't any other scholarships for medical students other than the one I had previously."

I heard about the case Sakura was referring to. Since she was attending the best medical school in Japan, the conflict that happened went public for a period of time. Apparently, there were some breach of contract on both sides and problems started brewing up here and there. Sakura's university covered up the news quickly though and it was settled before too much damage was done.

"Anyways, my dream since I was a young child has been to become a well-known doctor in Japan. So even though I lost my scholarship, I am still determined to go through medical school. And here I am now. And I can't think of anything else to say."

I must admit that the way Sakura held on to her ambitions was remarkable and admirable. Maybe it was because I had my own dreams and ambitions as well, hence, I could relate to how it would feel when you saw your dreams slipping away from your grip.

"What about you? I think I should know more about you too." Sakura took a sip of water before taking a bite of her food, and seeing the look on her face, it was safe to assume she was impressed with the quality of the restaurant.

"I also assume you already know my name. I had recently graduated from business school in a university in the States. I am currently working in the Uchiha Corporation, learning more about the company from my father to prepare myself before I will inherit the company. I live with my parents and older brother, who decided to start his own career outside of the family business." Sakura appeared to be genuinely interested in the things I said, much to my surprise. I was never exactly an interesting person during conversations.

"Tell me more about your friends." Sakura seemed as if she already figured out I was close friends with Shikamaru, proving to me once again of her intelligence.

"Since I spent four years of university overseas, most of my close friends in Japan are people I knew from high school. One of them is Shikamaru, whom I am sure you knew." Sakura nodded with a sly grin, showing that she was aware of our close friends' 'relationship', which would need at least a day or two to talk about.

"My other close friend is Neji Hyuuga, who is also currently my business partner. Since our 'relationship' has started, you'll eventually get to meet him. He is arrogant and unfriendly but he doesn't mean harm."

"So, he is just like you?" Sakura seemed to have said what she did without thinking twice but it wasn't like I minded.

Many people mentioned that Neji and I were similar in many ways. The two of us thought so too at some point and it somehow turned us into rivals. It was a healthy rivalry which made both of us continuously striving to be better version of ourselves.

"We are alike but I can confidently say I am better." My self-loving statement made Sakura laugh mockingly and it surprisingly didn't bother me. I ignored the way Sakura openly showed her disagreement to my statement and continued speaking.

"I guess I better tell you more about my family members before we leave this restaurant. My older brother will be there tonight too." I took a bite of my food as a slight nervousness crossed Sakura's face.

"What time will the dinner be?" Sakura asked as if the dinner was an exam she must attend, making the situation rather amusing.

"6 PM at an Italian restaurant in Ginza."

"There's still tons of time until 6 PM. I doubt we need that much time to come up with our 'story' and getting to know each other. What are we going to do anyways?" Sakura took the last bite of her food and finished her drink afterwards.

"Shopping." I finished my own share of food as well as I waited for some sort of reaction from Sakura.

"What?! Shopping is part of my new 'job'?" Sakura was either genuinely surprised or being sarcastic and I assumed it was the later.

"Yes." I smirked at how entertaining the whole situation turned out to be. One thing I was glad about was how Sakura remained mature and calm so far, and not pathetically seeking for attention like how most women were around me.

" _I guess she really did read through the contract."_

Because one of the lines typed in bold on the contract was:

 **Do not act like a fan girl.**

It was either she was following every detail of the contract or she just wasn't the 'fan girl' type. Either way I appreciate it.

In the rest of our stay in the restaurant, I told Sakura everything she had to know about my family members, such as their personality, what they disliked and liked from a person and basically things she had to know for her not to screw up.

And I truly hoped she wouldn't screw up.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

" _Holy shit, these things are bloody expensive."_

After we left the restaurant, Sasuke drove us to one of the fanciest shopping malls in Tokyo. These were places that I just didn't belong.

I felt out of place when I was inside and it became even worse when I realized that Sasuke had been attracting a whole lot of attention. And when I saw the price tags on the dresses in one of the high-end shops, I swore I could have a heart attack.

I was randomly walking around the shop, thinking of much work I needed to do in the restaurant to even afford a plain shirt in that place.

Sasuke, on the other hand, picked dresses here and there as if they costed nothing. A lady came over with the dresses Sasuke picked and showed me to where the changing rooms were.

Sasuke followed us while looking around the place, seemingly seeing if there were anything else he could find.

"Go ahead and try those dresses on. You can pick anything you like to wear for tonight. And feel free to take more if you want. I am paying for all of them so don't worry." With that said, Sasuke sat down on the couch and gave me a 'stop-daydreaming-and-get-going' look.

I went into the changing room and started trying on the dresses which I couldn't afford.

One thing was for sure, they looked better than I imagined.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

"Well, what do you think?"

I was beyond glad that I didn't make a fool out of myself when Sakura got out of the changing room with a black dress that fitted her perfectly. The dress wrapped her body in a way that her curves were elegantly emphasized. It reached right above her knees and the way the sleeves fell off her shoulders made her even more beautiful.

"It's great." Sakura glared at me a little for my 'effortless' compliment. In all honesty, she deserved much more. Complimenting was just not my thing. "Are you getting any of the other dresses?"

"No." I could see that Sakura loved the dresses she tried on from the look she is making as the dresses were placed back to the racks.

"Pack all of those." I told the lady who placed the dresses away, which made Sakura drop her jaws in an instant.

"Wait, what?!" Sakura seemed like she was about to protest but I interrupted her before she could say anything more.

"Don't worry about it. Treat it as a present." I started walking towards the door once I finished paying for all the dresses and took the paper bags. Sakura followed me from behind in a rush, all the while protesting and complaining.

"It's too much for me to accept! I can't!" Sakura's pointless complains made me smirk, and I continued ignoring her all the way until we reached the car.

All that was left to do was coming up with our little 'romantic' story and me trying not to stare at a certain someone too much.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

Up until today, I didn't know what it truly meant when someone said their heart felt like it was going to fall off.

My heart was thumping like crazy as I walked into the restaurant where I was supposed to meet Sasuke's family. The fancy chandeliers and extravagant interior designs didn't help calming me down.

"Relax. Don't let your nerves screw you up." I glared at Sasuke for his 'amazing' comforting few seconds before I had to face Sasuke's family.

A waiter escorted Sasuke and I to where his family were, who were apparently in a private room at the end of the restaurant. Once the waiter opened the door to the private room, I felt my heart dropped to a depth I couldn't describe.

But instead of freaking out, I decided to pull myself together and brought out the courage I totally needed.

Because I couldn't afford to let any of them see the truth behind our 'relaionship'.

* * *

Author's Note: As always, don't forget to review and share with me your thoughts! Your support means a whole lot to me, really! Also, don't forget to click the follow and favourite button (insert puppy eyes). Thank you for reading and see you in the next chapter!


	3. Between Reality and Fantasy

Author's Note: Huge thanks for all readers of this fanfic and can't be any happier to read everyone's reviews! Will try to continue developing this story and really hope everyone will like it even more. Chapter 3 is dedicated to all of you guys!

Chapter 3: Between Reality and Fantasy

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

"What happens if I run away now?"

Sakura pulled my sleeve and whispered to my ears in panic, just few seconds before entering the private room where my parents and older brother were. I glared at her and didn't know I was capable of panicking as well.

"I will kill you." My threatening voice sent my message clearly to Sakura, who responded by taking in a few deeper breaths before calming herself down.

"You told yourself you'll pull yourself together, Sakura, and that is what you will do."

I glared at her one last time, a way for me to remind her that tragedy would befall her if she were to screw things up. Once Sakura looked like she wouldn't break down from nervousness, I took her hand in mine and tried to do what seemed to be comforting to me.

"Everything will be fine." My words brought a small smile on Sakura's face, which had its own way of making me feel better. Because I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous at all.

" _I must not let them see through me."_

Sakura and I were greeted by my obviously excited mother, who looked as if she had waited forever for us.

"You two are finally here! Have a seat." I pulled Sakura's seat for her before settling down on my own. My parents sat in front of Sakura and I while Itachi was beside me. I took a glimpse of my older brother and noticed the amused look he had on.

And it did not make me any less nervous.

"My name is Mikoto Uchiha, I've been looking forward to meet you. Sasuke refused to tell me anything more about you." I almost sighed at the thought of how my mother had been pestering me to tell her more about my 'girlfriend'. The night before I first met Sakura, my mother knocked on my bedroom door in the middle of the night just to force me to tell her what my 'girlfriend's' name was.

Of course, I had no choice but to ignore her and told her to go back to sleep.

"I'm Fugaku Uchiha and I must say Sasuke had been keeping your identity a complete mystery." My father's choice of words was beginning to make me over-think, wondering if he was suspecting anything at all. "Glad to finally see that Sasuke's girlfriend is not imaginary."

I caught Itachi laughing at my father's last statement before he introduced himself, "And I'm Sasuke's older brother, Itachi Uchiha. I hope my brother has been nice to you so far, we all know he can be difficult sometimes."

I sent a glare towards Itachi, who completely ignored my discontent towards his insult. I turned my attention back to Sakura who was so calm that it was as if she was a different person from the one who was panicking few minutes ago.

"I am Sakura Haruno, a pleasure to finally meet everyone." Sakura pulled off an elegant self-introduction and was being an entirely different person from the fierce woman back in the restaurant. At that point, I was confused as to which Sakura was the real one.

As we waited for the food to be served, my parents were interrogating Sakura, asking a bunch of questions about herself or her life in general. Even though some questions were unexpected, Sakura handled it perfectly.

To think my mother would ask Sakura if she would like to have children in the future. Who in the world would ask that during the first hour of meeting a new person?

Neither of my parents meant any harm though so there wasn't anything to be worried about yet.

"So, how did the two of you meet?" My mother asked the question Sakura and I had been practicing for after the food was served. Sakura looked at me and judging from the meaningful smile she gave me, she wanted me to be the one to talk.

It was only fair though since she was talking for almost an hour already.

"We met in Kyoto few months ago when I went there with Shikamaru. He said two of his friends happened to be in Kyoto and I went with him when he met up with them. That's basically how we met."

It was true that I went to Kyoto for three days with Shikamaru few months ago and my family were aware of it. It was a random short trip we decided on during one of the weekends. And since it was just the two of us during that trip, I assumed the lie we told was 'safe'.

"You know Shikamaru as well, Sakura?" My mother asked, looking like she was expecting a story from Sakura.

"Yes, I met him through a mutual friend few years ago." And technically, that wasn't a lie. I mentally sighed in relief, seeing how smooth our act was. I secretly looked at my watch, and was beyond glad it was almost 8PM. I knew my father had to attend a meeting at 9PM so it was one hour before we can drop our act for the night.

"I'm definitely going to ask more about the two of you when I see Shikamaru next time. I'm sure there are more interesting things between you two that you're too embarrassed to share about!" I cursed in my mind at my mother's words and made a mental reminder to inform Shikamaru about it.

The last hour went by without any major problems. My mother was obviously pleased with Sakura while my father wasn't very expressive. I was worried that he might not reconsider the ridiculous marriage arrangement he made.

However, when we were outside of the restaurant and my mother was busy chatting with Sakura, my father came over to me and said, "You found yourself a nice woman, Sasuke. Don't worry too much about the engagement plans with Karin for now."

With that said, my father said his goodbyes to Sakura and got into his car to where his meeting would be held.

"I guess we should get going too." My mother opened the passenger door of Itachi's car and turned to Sakura one more time before getting in. "I'm really happy to have met you, Sakura. Do tell me if Sasuke is not treating you well, I'll make sure he'll be taught a lesson."

"I will, Mrs. Uchiha. A real pleasure to have met you." Sakura's words and smile was obviously genuine and I could see that she did enjoy the conversations with my mother. They got along better than I thought.

And before Itachi got into his car, he gave me a smile which obviously had a hidden meaning behind it. But as usual, I had no idea what was in my older brother's mind.

I chose to ignore him for the time being. After all, it had been a long day for both Sakura and me.

And trying to decipher what my older brother had in his mind was the last thing I wanted to do.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

At some point during dinner, I had naturally dropped my act and was being myself during the conversations.

Before meeting Sasuke's family, I was expecting them to be arrogant and unfriendly but they turned out to be complete opposite of what I thought they would be. They didn't ask much about my family background and just wanted to know if I had any siblings. I thought typical rich people were very concerned about people's family history and stuffs like those.

Either they truly didn't bother with such things or they had somehow stalked me already.

But they were genuinely nice and sincere, and that meant a lot to me. Throughout dinner, they listened to me attentively whenever I spoke, making me feel appreciated.

Their kindness made me guilty for helping Sasuke lie to them.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I wasn't paying attention as to where Sasuke was driving me to. I was snapped out of my thoughts when the car suddenly stopped and Sasuke turned the engine off.

"Where are we?" I looked through the window and saw what seemed to be the sea. It was dark and I could only catch few glimpses of the waves. I stepped out of the car, following Sasuke to one of the wooden shelters by the beach.

Once outside, the sea breeze caressed my skin and the smell of the ocean became evident. I also noticed we weren't alone and I saw several people around the area, simply relaxing under the wooden shelters scattered throughout the beach.

Sasuke found an empty shelter few steps away from where he parked the car and I settled down beside him. Neither of us spoke for a few moments and were just taking in the ocean in front of us. I stole a glance of Sasuke and instantly wondered what was in his mind.

But of course, I couldn't even begin to guess what he was thinking. At that moment, he felt so distant even though we were physically so close. It was like he was in a completely different place and I could never reach him.

It was as if the world was reminding me how we were two people from completely different worlds and the only thing connecting both of us was the lie we lived out together. There was a mixture of guilt and sadness as I let myself drawn in the reality.

"Thanks for today, Sakura."

The sincerity and surprising gentleness behind the way Sasuke called my name made my heart skipped a beat. I turned towards him and saw what I believed was a small smile on Sasuke's face as he looked straight into my eyes. It only lasted for a mere second but I knew I didn't imagine it.

Sasuke turned his focus back to the sea in front of us as he spoke, "I can see that my parents like you. My father might not be as obvious as my mother but that's just how he is. You can just ignore Itachi, I doubt he have any significant opinions anyways."

I found myself mesmerized by how Sasuke looked as the moonlight shone onto his raven hair. His dark eyes seemed deeper under the night skies and his relaxed self was comfortable to be with.

I forced myself to look away from him, not wanting my mind to haunt me with thoughts that shouldn't exist in my head. I looked up to the starry skies, wondering how much different my life would be from then onwards with Sasuke and his family in the picture.

"You have a great family." I restrained myself from expressing my guilt for lying to Sasuke's family, not wanting to make Sasuke thought that I no longer wanted to help him.

Partly because our 'business deal' could get me through college while another part was wanting to know where I would be in life with this arrangement.

"They are." Sasuke's words was simple but I could feel the emotions behind them. Most people would assume the family behind the well-known Uchiha Corporation would be cold and unloving. But the truth was, they really care about one another in their own special ways.

The men in the Uchiha family were not the expressive type but Sasuke's mother was there to be the outspoken one. Sasuke's father, being the strict member of the family, obviously wanted to make sure his family members were alright. I could see how concerned he was about Sasuke from how he was trying to get to know me better. And the way Itachi tease and make fun of Sasuke during dinner showed the meaningful siblings relationship he had with his one and only younger brother.

"Itachi is as annoying as ever though." I laughed at Sasuke's remarks about his older brother, who probably was one of the very few people who could easily gain the upper hand over Sasuke.

"You're rather annoying yourself." Seeing how fun it was to tease Sasuke, I just had to do so. I didn't bother containing my laughter when I saw the glare Sasuke was giving me.

We spent the next hour just taking in the comfort of each other's company. Sasuke would rant about Itachi once in a while and I would tell more stories about my own family.

At some point, it felt as if Sasuke really cared to know more about me. And it left a warm and fuzzy feeling inside me.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

"What do you want, Hyuuga?"

My tone was murderous as I picked up my phone which rang at bloody 9 AM on a Sunday morning. Sunday had always been my day off, where I would allow myself to sleep in and not allow any alarm to wake me up unless there were something important planned.

And even though Neji Hyuuga was aware of this, he didn't care at the very least.

"I heard you got yourself a girlfriend. How did I not know this earlier?" Neji pretended to sound hurt and it disgusted me to a whole new level. I didn't bother asking how he found out about my new 'relationship' and assumed my father must have told Neji's uncle, Hiashi Hyuuga, about it.

"You better have something important to say." My words served as a warning to Neji, asking him to quit his crap and cut to the chase.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Neji sounded amused over the phone and I wished there was a way for me to send a punch towards his face. "I called to say that Karin Uzumaki is requesting for an urgent meeting with the two of us regarding the newest real estate project."

I sighed upon hearing the name of the insane red-hair. The Uchiha, Hyuuga and Uzumaki Corporates were collaborating in a luxurious real estate project since two months ago. It being a rather new project, there were indeed many concerns and issues we had to address to all the time.

And the fact that Karin Uzumaki was the representative from her father's company, it added stress to both Neji and I.

"Where and when?" I groaned in annoyance as I pulled the blanket off me, allowing the cold air wake me up unwillingly.

"At that French café near Uzumaki corporation at 12 PM. And you should bring your girlfriend along just to piss Karin off." Neji hung up without a warning, leaving me to reconsider what he had just said.

Without a second thought, I took dialled Sakura for our next date.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"Remember, don't blow your cover. Karin might be mentally problematic but she is definitely not dumb."

"Yes, this is already the third time you are warning me about this." I rolled my eyes as Sasuke parked his car near the café where I was going to meet his 'fiancé' and his close friend, Neji. My peaceful Sunday turned into a showdown with my crazy 'love rival'.

Though I was curious as to what kind of person this Karin woman was. Sasuke made her sound so horrible that I had to see for myself.

As we stepped into the café, Sasuke took my hand and got into character immediately. He did it so naturally that it almost felt real. But of course, who was I kidding?

It had always been dangerous if one was not able to distinguish a fantasy from reality.

I followed Sasuke's lead and was brought to a table for four in the far end of the café. A pair of red eyes glared straight at me before I could completely prepare myself for what was to come.

Completely ignoring the obvious tension in the air, the man with a pair of unique white eyes, whom I assume was Neji, stood up from his seat beside Karin and reached out his hand for a handshake as he introduced himself.

"You must be Sakura. A pleasure to finally meet you. Sasuke talks about you all the time." I shook Neji's hand and greeted him properly despite a slight confusion. Based on my understanding, Neji should be unaware of the relationship between Sasuke and I.

But I acted naturally and tried to not be bothered by such minor details. I couldn't afford to give Karin a chance to notice that something was wrong.

The red-haired woman continued glaring at me as she introduced herself as well, making things very much uncomfortable. But of course, I wasn't going to let that show on my face.

"I'm Karin Uzumaki and I am very busy so I will go straight to business today." The frown on Karin's face turned into a smug smirk as she said the next words. "I hope you won't be too lost because I doubt you'll understand anything we'll be discussing, Sakura."

Her insulting tone made it obvious that she wanted to make me feel less of myself. But I was prepared for such remarks from her and surprisingly managed to control my emotions rather easily.

Despite wanting nothing more than to send a punch straight to her arrogant face, I smiled at Karin and responded gracefully, "I'll be alright. I understand how important this project is and want nothing more than to see it go smoothly."

Neji smirked at my response, in a way that told me he was impressed with how I handled Karin so well.

Sasuke placed an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him, much to my surprise. I remained as calm as I could as he reached over me and placed a soft kiss on my cheek.

It took all my self-control not to blush like mad.

"Thanks for being so considerate." The soft and gentle look Sasuke was giving me made me relaxed once again. It seemed to also be his way of telling me that everything was going to be alright. There was a kind of trust Sasuke was putting on me that I was not going to let go.

Karin, who was angered, cleared her throat and demanded the discussion to start immediately.

"I ain't got the whole day over here!"

Karin should take some anger management courses for her own sake.

Karin stormed out of the café once the necessary discussions were done. Neji openly expressed his amusement right after Karin left, saying that the mad look on Karin's face made his day.

The three of us left our seats shortly afterwards and parted ways in front of the café's entrance. Neji seemed convinced of my relationship with Sasuke and seeing how it could piss Karin off, he couldn't be any happier about it.

"Where are you headed off now?" Sasuke's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and that was when I noticed that we were still holding hands. It made me nervous out of nowhere and so suddenly that I was speechless for a second.

But the next voice was neither from Sasuke nor I.

"Sakura?"

I turned around upon hearing the much too familiar voice. The confusion in the voice was evident and I knew I wasn't ready to face what I was about to.

Once turned, I saw Naruto who was completely dumbfounded by what was in front of him. But what I didn't expect to see was the hurt in his eyes.

With my hand still in Sasuke's, I was about to say something but wasn't given a chance to.

Because Naruto had left off without another word.

"Naruto!"

* * *

Author's Note: Stay tuned to the next chapter if you want to see what happens next! Do remember to review and click the follow and favorite buttons. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!


	4. Budding Feelings

Author's Note: I would like to thank all followers and reviewers of this fanfic and for every reader's patience for my not-so-fast update on this story! Much appreciation is given to those who are so nice and patient.

Chapter 4: Budding Feelings

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"Naruto Uzumaki!" I ran after Naruto and didn't bother to explain things to Sasuke first. The pain I saw in Naruto's eyes terrified me and nothing was more important than Naruto at that moment.

Naruto was about to make a turn into an alley when I picked up my pace and got hold onto his shoulder. Much to my discontent, Naruto tried to run away and I had no choice but to violently grab onto his arms.

"You're not going anywhere!" I forcefully turned Naruto around and was met with tears streaming down his blue eyes. My hold onto his arms softened as I stared, completely speechless and stiff. Naruto turned his gaze away from me and had it fixated on the ground instead.

There were so much emotions going through his eyes that I couldn't catch up. I didn't understand what was wrong and the sight of someone I truly care about looking so hurt was unbearable.

It took me some time before I could bring myself to speak. Even when I did, my throat felt tight and I held onto my chest as if it could calm me down.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" My voice was so soft compared to Naruto's sobs, which made everything even more painful to watch. I've known Naruto for the longest of times and I never saw him so sad. He was always so cheerful and silly that I didn't know he can look so torn.

I squeezed Naruto's arms gently to push for a response. He had always been the type to speak up or shout whenever he was upset. I was scared to see that he was hesitating to tell me what was wrong.

Naruto's eyes finally left the ground but the way he looked at me was just too painful. He bit his lips before pushing my hands away from his arms. He was pushing me away gently but the emotional pain was unbearable.

"I really like you." Naruto's words pierced through me in an instant. My eyes widened in both surprise and confusion. But the sincerity was real and I knew he was not joking.

"I really like you, for the longest of time. I know you don't feel the same but seeing you with another guy was more painful than I thought." Naruto's sobs became louder and he shut his eyes in a failed attempt to stop more tears from pouring down. "And the pain is unbearable knowing that you didn't even tell me about it!"

Tears began to blur my sight as I took in Naruto's words. I had been oblivious of his feelings for all these years and my feelings were a mixture of sadness and guilt. I wanted to tell Naruto that I wasn't really in a relationship and everything was an act.

But what good would that do for him? At the end of the day, I couldn't return his feelings.

I love Naruto as a best friend and there was nothing more to that. My mind was running wild out of fear that our friendship would hit rock bottom. If it did, I would be crushed.

"Na-" Before I could say anything, Naruto wiped off his tears and managed a smile. He looked at me through his glistening eyes and spoke between sobs.

"Don't worry, Sakura. I'll be alright. I still like you, a whole lot, but I treasure our friendship more than my feelings for you."

I could no longer hold onto my tears and let it flow as I sobbed pathetically. Naruto meant so much to me and seeing him being so selfless made me feel so loved and guilty at the same time. Naruto deserved so much more than my incapability to return his love.

Naruto held me into his arms and rubbed my back. He allowed me to pour my feelings out even though he should be the one given the space to cry.

"Don't you dare feel bad. This is my choice." Naruto held onto my shoulders and looked straight into my eyes. The smile he had on was the most mature I had ever seen from him. "This just means there is another girl out there for me. I bet she's more feminine and nicer than you, Sakura!"

Even though I knew Naruto was trying to lighten up the atmosphere by being his stupid self, I truly wished what he said was true.

Somewhere, there was a girl who would love Naruto with all her heart and bring him all the happiness he truly deserved.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

I stood behind a wall as I watched what was happening between Sakura and the blonde. I might not know who he was but I could figure most things out soon enough.

I decided to walk back to the car when I saw the blonde walking away. I waited for some time before Sakura came back, her swelling eyes were evidence for the tears she shed.

I didn't say anything but instead, opened the door to the passenger's seat for her. Without a word, Sakura got into the car and I closed the door after her. Once I got into the car, I knew better than to ask her too much about what just happened.

As Sakura stared out of the window, I started driving us to a place my usual self would avoid.

It took Sakura 15 minutes of silence before she noticed that I was driving us to somewhere she didn't know. She finally snapped out of her thoughts and turned towards me.

"Where are you taking us?" She looked around and was obviously confused when she couldn't recognize where she was.

Knowing that we were very close to our destination, I didn't answer her and continued focusing on the roads. From the corner of my eye, I could see a frown forming on Sakura's face as she was about to demand an answer from me.

Her annoyance was turned into surprise when she saw where exactly I had taken her to. I parked the car as she stared at the castle-like building through the window.

"It's the new cake factory!" Sakura was grinning like a little girl and almost seemed to have completely forgotten she was so upset earlier.

Gâteau Château, which directly translated into Cake Castle from French, was newly opened in Tokyo. It was a place where customers can bake their own cakes alongside award-winning French pastry chefs and decorate them afterwards. One of the main selling points was how extravagant and 'dreamy' the place was.

But the luxurious Gâteau Château came with a high price.

It didn't matter to me, of course. I remembered Sakura mentioning that she loved desserts, especially cakes. But good ones are pricey so she stopped having them to save up money for school.

I had to open the door to the passenger's seat to return Sakura from her shock.

"We're seriously going to Gâteau Château?" Sakura stared at me in disbelief as she got out from the car. I raised an eyebrow at her question and gave a sarcastic answer she deserved.

"No, we're not. We're here to breathe in the fresh air and look at that ridiculous 'castle' from afar."

Sakura rolled her eyes at my response as we walked towards Gâteau Château. The excitement in Sakura could obviously be seen from her eyes. Despite feeling rather out of place being where I was, I was glad I decided to do so.

A frown just didn't belong on Sakura.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"This is your first-time baking, right?" I asked Sasuke as we began kneading the dough. I knew the answer to my own question and it wasn't because of how uncomfortable Sasuke looked. A 'young master' like himself never had to pick up any pans and pots, that was for sure.

"Hn." What seemed to be a half-hearted reply could have easily annoyed me if it weren't for the fact that I was too happy. I always had an overflowing love for cakes but my financial situation simply didn't allow such joy in life.

Moreover, the way Sasuke was taking everything seriously despite the clear discomfort made him charming.

The baking process went by smoothly with the assistance of the friendly French pastry chef who could only communicate with us in English. Never had I ever been so glad that I spoke fluent English, which I picked up from having English classes at school since I was young.

Sasuke, who had better English skills than I did, had great conversations with the chef as we prepare the cake. The chef who was assigned to help us was also the owner and founder of Gâteau Château, so they talked a lot about the reasons behind the chef's decision to come all the way to Japan to start the business.

Business was never exactly my field of interest but it was interesting to see how engrossed Sasuke was into the conversation. Their conversation never stopped until the cake was baked and brought out from the oven and the pastry chef had to attend to an urgent matter.

Sasuke and the founder of Gâteau Château exchanged name cards while another pastry chef helped us set up the decorative tools and ingredients after helping us layer the cake with white buttercream.

The pastry chef briefly told me what to do before leaving to help another group of people. When Sasuke was back to the table, he looked at the cake and despite his usual expressionless face, I could sense that he was rather proud of the outcome.

"Looks decent." I ignored Sasuke's underrated comment and proceed to thinking of what to do next. There were frosting of various pastel colours and candies in different shapes and sizes. My mind was running wild with ideas when something cold suddenly touched my cheek.

I jumped a little in surprise before turning towards Sasuke with a glare. The frosting was cold on my skin and Sasuke did not seem guilty for what he did.

"You looked as if you're in your own world so I had to bring you back." Sasuke's nonchalant response amused me more than it did annoy me. I was about to reach out for a napkin but Sasuke got to it faster than I did.

Again, with his expressionless face, he whipped off the mess he caused and said something rather unexpected.

"You actually look like a cute child with cream on your face."

My face heated up in an instant as I tried not to look too flustered. Luckily for me, Sasuke turned away before my face turned into an unbelievable shade of red.

I shook my head as if it could stop my mind from going wild and placed my attention back to what we were doing.

"You're a fast learner." I was proud of myself for sounding normal even though my heart was still beating faster than it should.

Sasuke smirked and being the over-confident person he was, just had to say something to boost his already soaring ego.

"I'm a genius, aren't I?"

My earlier heavily blushed face was almost entirely gone from hearing what Sasuke said. I rolled my eyes to show my annoyance but truth to told, I was beginning to get used to how cocky Sasuke could be at times.

Because despite the arrogance, he was surprisingly sweet and kind-hearted in his own way.

If he weren't, he wouldn't have brought me to Gâteau Château to cheer me up. He might not have said any comforting words or asked me if I were alright, his actions spoke louder than anything he could have spoken.

And I would be lying if I said I wasn't touched by what he did for me.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

The time spent at Gâteau Château turned out to be far from what I had initially expected. I would never have thought I would find baking interesting at the least. It wouldn't be a hobby of mine but I would say I found it enjoyable.

Though to be fair, Sakura's company played a huge part as to why it went great.

The way she smiled throughout our time spent in Gâteau Château was beautiful. I could see she was having lots of fun and that itself made the whole atmosphere comfortable. Seeing how she was being true and sincere made me feel like I could just relax and be whoever I was.

And it was something I appreciate more than Sakura could ever know.

I drove her home after we finished the cake we made, which was so good the two of us finished it off without a complaint. Sakura thanked me for the day as she got off the car and I found myself saying, "See you soon."

To be frank, I would really want to see her soon. A part of me was starting to miss her as I drove away towards my home. It was a foreign feeling and very illogical too. It almost made me feel stupid, which was another thing I was unfamiliar with.

Once I reached home, all I wanted was to go back to my room and take a nap. It had been a fun but long day at the same time. Moreover, I was hoping a nap could snap me out of all the weirdness I was going through.

"You're home, Sasuke." My mother was reading a magazine in the living room when I walked passed. "Shikamaru arrived half an hour ago to see you. He is waiting in your room right now."

Hearing what my mother said, I grumbled in annoyance and knew I could forget about taking a nap. To have Shikamaru get his ass up and go all the way to my house to see me on a Sunday, it could only mean that there were important matters that were so important that it could not be talked about through a phone call.

I went into my room to find Shikamaru typing rapidly on his laptop. He seemed so focused that it took him a while before he noticed I was back.

"What's wrong?" I jumped to the point, knowing very well it was one of those times when neither of us had time for unnecessary bullshit.

Shikamaru finished whatever he was typing and closed his laptop before walking towards me. He sighed as he rubbed his temples, looking both exhausted and grumpy.

"My father received a call earlier on from the Kyoto branch of Nara Corporate and they told him that one of our major suppliers was just found out to have been involved in money laundering and had to close down. It has badly affected the Kyoto branch in just a matter of a day and my father wants me to see to the situation right away. I've done all the necessary research and found out that by having the Sunagakure Corporate as our supplier, we can settle the problem and fix the damage caused. I know you worked on a project with the owner of Sunagakure Corporate last year and I want to know if it is possible for you to connect me to him."

The person Shikamaru was referring to was named Gaara, the CEO and owner of the Sunagakure Corporate, the largest company in Kyoto and one of the most influential ones throughout Japan. Gaara was around my age but his capability and leadership made people respect him without a doubt.

Even I had to admit that he deserved my respect as well.

"I wouldn't say we are on really friendly terms but our partnership did go well. I'll call him now and see what he says."

Shikamaru thanked me before getting back to his laptop again, seemingly to be checking his e-mails for further updates. I stood against the wall as I dialled Gaara's number, who fortunately picked up almost immediately.

"Hi, Gaara. Hope you're well these days." As much as I hated small talks which were pointless, I knew better than to sound rude to someone who could save Shikamaru from the problem he was in.

"I am, hope the same goes to you, Uchiha. I assume someone as busy as you are did not call me just to ask how I am doing." Another reason why I respected Gaara was how alike we could be at some aspects. Small talks just weren't our thing and cutting to the chase was something we would always opted for.

"I am calling on behalf of my friend from the Nara Corporation to inquire for a possible partnership."

"Is it regarding the situation in their Kyoto branch?" I was amazed at how updated Gaara was to things happening around him. Not that it was something unexpected from him.

"It seems that you are aware of the issue so I assume you don't need me to explain the details."

"I am interested in the partnership offer. Do you think it is possible for your friend to come over to Kyoto for a face-to-face meeting with me on Tuesday afternoon?"

Judging from how urgent the problem had to be resolved, I was confident that Shikamaru would put down anything to attend a meeting with Gaara so I answered without asking Shikamaru.

"He would be."

"Great. I'll see him then. Oh, Sunagakure Corporate is holding a networking event on Tuesday night. You should come over if you happen to be available. All the major CEO of Kyoto will be there. It would be a good chance for you to make some connections if you ever wish to expand the Kyoto branch of Uchiha Corporate."

"I'll be there." I didn't have to think twice to know that it was a chance I could not possibly miss. The Kyoto branch of Uchiha Corporate had not been growing for the past years and I would want to do something about that.

The networking event Gaara mentioned would gain me the connections I needed to achieve growth in the Kyoto branch.

"I'll see you there then." Gaara hung up afterwards and I turned towards Shikamaru who had been listening attentively.

"He wants you to meet him on Tuesday afternoon. I'm going as well to attend a networking event they're holding on Tuesday night."

"I knew I could count on you regarding this." Shikamaru went back to work on his laptop after stretching a little to release some stress.

"I wonder if Sakura would be free to go with me." I was talking to myself and seeing how serious Shikamaru was, I didn't expect he would have heard me.

"Did you just say what I think you said?" Shikamaru stopped working and gave me a huge amount of unwanted attention. He was staring at me in both shock and curiosity, making me feeling even more uncomfortable by the second.

"You didn't hear anything." I was hoping Shikamaru would drop the topic but I should have known better than to think that would happen.

"You're starting to fall for her, aren't you?" Of course, you can count on Shikamaru Nara to go straight to the point. Not that I ever minded that side of him on most cases.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shikamaru followed me as I walked towards my wardrobe to take a change of clothing.

"Come on, I know you long enough to know that you're really falling for her. I kind of expected this to happen."

"Don't make yourself sound so smart, Nara. You don't know what you're talking about."

Shikamaru ignored what I said and seemed to be having so much fun that he could possibly forgot the problem he had at hand.

"Since you're taking Sakura to Kyoto, I should ask Ino to come with me. I don't want to be a lightbulb in this trip, that just sucks."

I was tempted to tease Shikamaru about his 'relationship' with Ino, like how I usually did, but if I were to do so then I knew he would tease me back.

I was so tired that all I wanted was a nice nap.

And whether I was really falling for Sakura or not, only time would tell.

* * *

Author's Note: If you're curious as to what will happen in their trip to Kyoto, stay tuned for the next chapter! My schedule is packed these days but I hope I can find time to write the next chapters. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter and don't forget to review. Every review, follow and favourite means a whole lot to me! See you next time and have a nice day!


	5. Hidden Emotions

Author's Note: Happy new year, everyone! I know it's been a while and I'm really sorry. I'll do my best to write to update more! And thank you for all the reviews and support for this fanfic.

Chapter 5: Hidden Emotions

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"How could you not tell me about this earlier, Forehead?!"

Ino yelled at me as we were in a taxi, on our way to the airport where we would be meeting Sasuke and Shikamaru. Truth be told, I was excited when Sasuke asked me to go to Kyoto with him for a two nights trip, even though I had to miss some classes since it was the weekdays.

But I freaked out when he told me we were going with Ino and Shikamaru.

I had yet had the chance to tell Ino about my 'relationship' and I knew her enough to expect a lot of complaining about it.

"Everything happened so quickly and the right time to tell you didn't come." I mentally scolded myself for not finding the time to tell Ino earlier, to save me from having to explain myself like what I was doing.

"Fine." Ino's frown was soon replaced by an evil smirk, and I knew I had brought myself into another kind of trouble. "Tell me everything about you and that super hot Uchiha guy."

I probably knew Ino way too well to know what she was going to say.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

As we were flying on my family's private plane, I noticed how Ino was trying to dig out interesting things between Sakura and me. Although they were not loud enough for me to hear clearly, I managed to catch a word or two.

I could see the dark shade of red on Sakura's cheeks when asked about our 'first kiss'.

Although I was amused by Sakura's answers and reactions, I was glad we arrived just in time to save Sakura from fainting out of embarrassment.

Once we were out of the plane, there were two black limousines waiting for us. Our luggage was placed in the one Shikamaru and I would be using to go to Sunagakure Corporation, which would head over to our hotel afterwards.

"Shikamaru and I will be going for the meeting now. You and Ino can use the other car to go wherever you wish. We'll call after we're done." I told Sakura who gave me a nod in return. Through the corner of our eyes, we saw Shikamaru giving Ino a kiss on the check, making her giggle like a child.

Slight awkwardness filled the air between us as we looked away, neither knew what to do.

"Best of luck for the meeting and I'll see you later." Sakura said that almost too quickly when she saw that Ino was done speaking with Shikamaru. She practically dragged Ino to the car, telling her that there were many places she wanted to go, and they should hurry up.

When they had drove away, I could hear Shikamaru's snicker and I rolled my eyes as I waited for his smug words.

"It wouldn't kill to be a bit more romantic, you know."

"Shut up." Not wanting to hear another word from Shikamaru, I got into the car to start the day's business.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"Sasuke isn't much of a romantic guy, is he?"

Ino's question caught me off guard when we were walking through one of the parks. My head was already hurting from all the improvising and lying I had to do since morning.

But I was then reminded of the times when Sasuke was being sweet and I figured I didn't have to always lie after all.

"Well, he is just not very expressive. But there are times he is really sweet."

I began telling Ino about the time Sasuke brought me to Gâteau Château to cheer me up after what happened with Naruto. The whole place was out of his character, but he made everything a fun experience. I found myself smiling as I thought back to that day, secretly hoping I could feel that happy with him again.

I stopped daydreaming when I noticed that Ino was giggling beside me. I turned to her and was questioning her teasing smile.

"To be honest, when you were talking about your relationship with Sasuke during the flight, it almost felt fake."

I froze upon hearing what Ino had said, and was already thinking of how dead I would be if I were to be found out. But I chose to remain silent as I waited for her to continue.

"But seeing how happy you are right now, I can see that you're really in love with Sasuke."

I should feel relieved that the truth behind the relationship wasn't exposed and that the lie remained safe. But Ino reminded me of a line on the contract I signed in the beginning.

" _ **Do not fall in love with me."**_

I felt an unexplainable sadness within myself and tried not to show it in front of Ino. I bit my lips to stop myself from tearing up. I forced a small smile, all the while thinking of how wonderful it would be if I could freely embrace all the feelings I had in me.

"Yes, I guess I'm really in love."

And the man I felt like I was starting to fall for shall never know.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

Shikamaru sighed in relief once we left Sunagakure Corporation and got into the car.

It was a successful meeting and almost everything was good to go. I looked out of the car window in silence while Shikamaru was on the phone with his father.

"Thanks, Sasuke. Wouldn't get out of this troublesome mess without your help." Shikamaru put his phone away and he thanked me for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Hn." I looked at my watch and saw that I still had about three hours before the networking event. I turned to Shikamaru who seemed to be messaging Ino. "Where are you heading to?"

"I'm meeting Ino to do some shopping for tonight. She said Sakura is at Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine now."

"I'll go find her then."

After informing the chauffeur of the arrangement, I leaned against the headrest and relax a little after an entire afternoon of human interaction.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

As much as I love Ino, I was glad to have some time alone.

I found a bench while strolling around the shrine, and decided to take a rest. It felt like it had been a long day, even though there was still a long way to go.

When I received a message from Sasuke that he was on his way to find me, there was a mixture of excitement and nervousness. I was still not sure of my own feelings for him, and everything was too complicated for me to digest easily.

And I did not even dare to imagine what would happen if Sasuke realized I might had feelings for him. I was terrified thinking that I might not be allowed to see him again if he found out about it.

" _Come on, Sakura. Maybe you're just confused and think you like him. Maybe you don't even like him that way!"_

"Hey."

I yelped in surprise when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I stood up and turned around, only to see Sasuke who was giving me a weird look.

Upon realizing it was him, I calmed down and mentally scolded myself for acting stupid in front of him.

"Sorry, I was too lost in my own thoughts." I smiled apologetically but I could see Sasuke wasn't bothered by it.

"Want to go for a walk with me?" As usual, Sasuke's question almost sounded like a command. He gave you a look which said that he wouldn't take no for an answer. At the beginning, I did find it annoying, but I eventually grew to find it amusing in its own way.

"Sure."

We walked in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying the breeze and serenity surrounding the shrine. Spending quiet times with Sasuke was starting to become the norm, especially when I could see that he needed some time to relax.

"What did you do earlier?" I was slightly surprised that Sasuke initiated a conversation, but I kept that thought to myself.

"Just strolling around Kyoto. It's been a while since I last came here." I love places where I could be close to nature, so I had fun going to different parks and shrines.

"Good to know. Let's go get something for the event tonight after this."

I nodded in response as I followed Sasuke's path around the place, all the while thinking of how great it would be if I didn't have to suppress the feelings I had for the man beside me.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

"Can you please don't embarrass yourself by staring at her all night?"

I glared at Shikamaru who was did not wish to miss the opportunity to make fun of me. We were at the networking event of Sunagakure Corporation when Shikamaru caught me staring at Sakura, who was wearing the black long dress I bought for her after we left the shrine.

She looked stunning.

Fortunately for me, Sakura was taking some drinks and were too far to hear Shikamaru's teasing.

"Thank you for joining us here tonight."

I was saved from further mocking when I heard Gaara's voice from behind. We turned to greet the host of the night, who had two other people with him.

"It's a pleasure to be here." I shook hands with Gaara and his two companions, whom I had never met before.

"These are my siblings, Temari and Kankuro." I was not expecting the three of them to be siblings so Gaara's introduction came as a surprise.

The five of us talked for a while, before the Sunagakure siblings had to leave to attend to other guests.

"It seems Gaara's older sister has taken a liking to you." I might not seem like I cared most of the time, but it didn't mean I was unaware of the way Temari was looking at Shikamaru.

"Whatever. I have no interest in anything that is too troublesome." Shikamaru walked away, heading towards Ino, whom in my opinion should be considered troublesome.

I decided to mind my own business and try to get some fruitful business networking done.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

The extravagant life of the rich was not cut out for me.

By the time I got into the car, I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than a warm bath. Ino dozed off on Shikamaru's shoulder as the car drove us to our hotel.

Sasuke, on the other hand, seemed pleased with the business he did that night. Though I could see the amount of interaction he did since afternoon was wearing him too.

Our luggage was already taken to the hotel, so we directly headed for our rooms when we reached. Ino almost seemed like she was sleep walking so Shikamaru was making sure she wouldn't fall.

And when we reached the floor where our rooms were, Ino sleepily said goodnight to me and went into the room with Shikamaru. When the door closed, I realized the situation I was in and was so close to freaking out.

"Don't tell me you're not expecting to share a room with me?"

Sasuke asked while getting the key to our own room, which was just beside Ino and Shikamaru's. I tried to compose myself a little and after giving it some thoughts, I concluded that I was being naïve to think that it was the normal thing to do for me to share a room with Ino.

Not only was I mad at how stupid I was, my heart was pounding like crazy when I stepped into the room.

At that moment, I did not have a single clue as to how I would survive the night.

* * *

Author's Note: Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out what will happen next! Leave a review before you leave too. Don't forget to click follow and favorite to make sure you'll receive notifications of future updates. Until next time and have a nice day!


	6. A Meaningful Whisper

Author's Note: So happy to see so much support from everyone even though it's been a while since I last updated this fanfic! Your kind words on your reviews are truly encouraging and are motivating me to do better. Hope you enjoy chapter 6 too!

Chapter 6: A Meaningful Whisper

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

" _Why is this happening to me?"_

I wanted to run away when I saw that there was only one bed in the room. My heart began pounding like mad and my hands were slightly trembling.

On the other hand, Sasuke seemed unfazed and indifferent towards the situation we were in.

I couldn't believe I was envious of Sasuke Uchiha's lack of emotions for once.

"Don't be so uptight. It's not like I have an intention of doing anything to you so just relax."

Even though Sasuke's words were meant to make me feel better, I ended up feeling insulted. I grab a nearby cushion and threw it towards Sasuke, hitting him straight on the face.

"What's that for?" Sasuke's glare and obvious annoyance made me relax for some unknown reason. I finally was able to accept the fate bestowed upon me and laughed it off.

"I'll take a bath first if you don't mind." It had been a long day and I was in a dire need of a warm bath.

"Hn." Sasuke made himself at home on the sofa by the window which almost covered the entire far end wall of the room. Seeing how exhausted he was, I made a mental note to not take too long in the bathroom so a certain expressionless Uchiha could rest earlier.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

The sound of the running shower engulfing the room did not help me get my mind out of the gutter.

I looked out of the window of the hotel room, frantically trying to find anything that could get my mind off things I shouldn't be thinking of. But being on the top floor of the hotel room, there wasn't much to see besides the dark skies which were lacking of stars.

The situation we were in wasn't supposed to be difficult to handle. It was only troublesome on my end because I was aware that I was starting to have feelings for her.

Not only was I beginning to sound like a whiny Shikamaru but I was close to breaking one of the rules I stated on the contract I drafted.

" _I'm pathetic."_ I sighed and closed my eyes, hoping to get some rest as I waited for Sakura to be done.

Little did I knew, I ended up drifting to sleep.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

" _Did I take that long in the bath?"_

Sasuke was asleep on the sofa when I got out of the bathroom. He looked so peaceful that I almost felt like I shouldn't wake him up.

With a towel draped on my shoulders to prevent my wet hair from touching my pyjamas, I walked towards the gorgeous man who was sound asleep.

I knelt in front of him and found myself taking my own sweet time to stare at Sasuke. Even though I felt like a creep for doing so, I was truly mesmerized by his good looks. But when I was reminded that I shouldn't allow my feelings to go any deeper, I looked away in pain and tried to stop myself from thinking of things I shouldn't.

When I turned back to Sasuke, I saw that he was already awake and was staring at me with his beautiful eyes which I grew to love.

"You're not trying to take advantage of me while I was asleep, aren't you?"

My earlier fascination of the man in front of me was replaced by slight anger and much annoyance. I grabbed another cushion and threw it to his face with more strength than earlier.

"Don't think so highly of yourself! Get moving and take a shower before it gets later."

I turned away from Sasuke, not wanting to let him see how flushed my face was. Of course, I wasn't planning on doing anything indecent to him while he was asleep. But I must admit my mind was swaying to a less appropriate side of my imagination.

And that thought alone was enough to embarrass the hell out of me.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

I knew I was in trouble when a cold shower wasn't helping me calm down much.

And the fact that I noticed a hint of blush on Sakura's face when I got out of the shower with only a bathrobe on did not make anything easier.

Seeing how uncomfortable she was as she distracted herself with her phone on the bed, I had to try to make the night better for her.

"I'll sleep on the sofa tonight."

Even though it wasn't an idea solution, I comforted myself by thinking that it was indeed quite comfortable when I fell asleep on the sofa earlier on.

Sakura's reaction to my seemingly best solution to the situation was out of my expectation.

"You don't have to!" I could see that Sakura was surprised by her own words, putting her hand over her mouth for being louder than she wanted to.

And with how flustered she seemed, I couldn't help but tease her a little.

"You should just tell me if you're actually looking forward to sleep with me."

I smirked at Sakura, whose face turned bright red out of embarrassment. I braced myself for yet another cushion attack but wasn't expecting to have two pillows thrown onto my face at the same time.

"You're an moron, Sasuke!"

It was going to be an interesting night, that was for sure.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

" _It's not fair that he's sound asleep and I'm wide awake like an idiot."_

I had been almost an hour since we decided to turn in and I simply could not fall asleep. My mind was either preoccupied with thoughts of being in the same bed with a drop-dead gorgeous man or thoughts of how I have feelings I shouldn't have for him.

Thinking that I might be able to fall asleep if I change positions, I turned towards the side where Sasuke was. I immediately knew it was a wrong choice when I was just inches away from Sasuke's face.

I could feel his soft breathing on my skin and it sent a shiver down my spine. His soft-looking lips were dangerously inviting, and I found myself gulping out of nervousness.

When I slowly grew used to the idea of having Sasuke in very close proximity to me, I sighed softly as I stared at him adoringly.

" _I guess this is what it feels like to have someone so close to you and yet so far."_

My thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Sasuke suddenly shifted in his sleep. I was thrown into a panic attack when I saw him closing in on me and had unconsciously placed his arm around my shoulder. My heart was racing crazily when Sasuke's head was placed against my forehead, causing our lips to be barely apart.

Not wanting to wake Sasuke up, I stayed as still as I could. I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to reach out for a kiss. But I wasn't a despicable person who would take advantage of a sleeping man.

It wasn't difficult to eventually become comfortable under Sasuke's embrace. And soon, I was drifting to sleep when I had used up much of my energy thinking of complicated things.

But before I fell into a deep slumber, I remembered hearing a whisper escaping Sasuke's mouth. It was soft but clear enough for me to know that he was calling my name in his sleep.

"Sakura."

And I remembered thinking to myself how great it would be if my feelings could one day be answered.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

Waking up to see that I had my arm wrapped around Sakura was indeed a surprise. But it was a pleasant one.

It almost seemed as if we were in an actual relationship and I must say it had a nice ring to it.

But not wanting to get too carried away with my own fantasy, I gently let go of the beautiful woman beside me and head to the bathroom for another much-needed cold shower.

* * *

"Do you have any plans for today?" Shikamaru asked while we were at the lobby, having decided to meet up for a cup of coffee while Sakura and Ino were in the middle of their usual morning ritual.

"Nothing much." I tried to come up with a good itinerary for my last full day with Sakura in Kyoto, but it proved to be more difficult than I thought.

"You really need to work harder if you want to chase a girl. It's by far one of the most troublesome things ever." I had officially given up making Shikamaru stop teasing me, so I ignored his words.

It wasn't that I hate developing feelings for Sakura, but it was the fact that I was the one who told her not to fall in love. And there I was, being the one stupidly falling for her. I blamed my high ego for making things even more complicated.

"Unlike you, I took up the trouble making plans for the day. Drop the high and mighty act so you won't end up regretting when she goes away."

I allowed Shikamaru's words to sink in for a bit. Even though it was highly unusual for Shikamaru Nara to speak so much, he did make good points.

Because I knew how much I would hate myself if I were to let her go.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"So, how was your night?"

Ino grabbed my arm when we were in the lift, all the while smirking creepily at me.

"It's was fine." I spared Ino any details, knowing perfectly well what my best friend was expecting to hear.

"Just 'fine'? Come on, Sakura! Don't leave out all the juicy stuffs." Ino was pinching my cheek a little too hard and I had to shake her away.

"There's nothing for me to say!" What I said wasn't a lie but to say nothing at all happened would be a bit far from truth.

I was still wondering if it was just a dream when I heard Sasuke calling my name in his sleep. I was rather sure of it but then again, what could it mean then?

Ino literally jumped into Shikamaru's embrace when they we reached the lobby. The amount of public display of attraction was starting to get into my nerves. Maybe I was slightly envious of how openly close Ino and Shikamaru could be.

While the two love birds were talking about the things they had planned for the day, I realized that I had yet to think of what to do. It wasn't every day that I got to visit Kyoto and I would not let it go to waste.

"Do you have anywhere in particular you want to go to?" I turned around when I heard Sasuke's voice and was glad I didn't blush too badly when my mind returned to last night's events.

"I haven't given it much thoughts actually." And neither did I expect Sasuke to have anything in mind for the two of us.

But I guessed there were times when the most bizarre things could happen.

"Follow me then. I have a special place I wish to show you."

The emotions I felt behind his words made my heart skip a beat and a strong anticipation enveloped my whole being. I nodded with a smile, while wondering what good had I done to deserve a chance to meet someone like Sasuke.

Because behind the seemingly lack of emotion lies a man with a wonderful personality I knew I love.

* * *

Author's Note: Remember to leave a review on your way out! Your support means a whole lot to me and so are your comments or suggestions. Don't hesitate and tell me what is in your mind. Also, do click the follow and favourite button to stay updated whenever I have uploaded a new chapter. Have a good day and see you again soon!


	7. Can I Love You?

Author's Note: Many thanks to the great support! Hopefully I'll get more time to write even though lots of work is piling up.

Chapter 7: Can I Love You?

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"This place is beautiful."

Sasuke brought me to the countryside, an even more peaceful part of Kyoto. Not knowing where we were heading to, I simply followed Sasuke's lead. I was captivated by the serenity of the place and enjoyed watching the cheerful residences working at the rice fields.

I became more curious as to where Sasuke was taking me to when we walked across a wooden bridge, leaving the vast rice fields. And when we reached an almost deserted part of the countryside, I began wondering if I was about to be kidnapped.

But that was just ridiculous, so I laughed it off.

"We're here."

Sasuke stopped on his tracks and to get a better view of where we were, I stood by his side.

My eyes widened in fascination when I laid my eyes on the beautiful house in front of me. Not only was it large, the vintage vibe of the traditional wooden house brought my mind back to olden Japan. It almost felt like we were transported back in time.

Without giving me much information and leaving me in my own amazement, Sasuke walked towards the gate and knocked on it. It was the creaking sound of the gate being opened which snapped me out of my daydream.

Slightly nervous for having zero idea on who the house owners were, I tried to be as proper as I could as I stood a few steps behind Sasuke. I had a better idea on where we were when I saw a man who looked strikingly similar to Sasuke at the other side of the gate.

"Sasuke! What a surprise. Didn't expect you to be visiting." The older man seemed to be around Itachi's age but seemed less intimidating than Sasuke and his brother. Though one glance at him, you would know he was a posh man with undoubtable abilities.

"I came to Kyoto for some business matters and decided to visit while I'm here." And judging from the respectful way Sasuke was speaking to the other man, I knew he was no ordinary person.

"It's really been a while since I've seen you!" When the other man took a step out of the gate, he finally noticed the presence of a person he had never met before. Curiosity was evident in his eyes as he looked at me and something about his smirk told me he knew who I was.

"You should've really told us earlier if you're bringing your girlfriend over!" The older man placed his arm around Sasuke's shoulder, who remained as calm as always.

"This is my cousin, Shisui Uchiha. Feel free to ignore him if he gets too loud." Seeing Sasuke not slapping away Shisui's arm showed his utmost respect for his cousin, which made me believe that he was indeed an amazing person.

"Sasuke brought his girlfriend to visit us?!" A voice of another man came from the house, followed by loud footsteps of a running person. I was slightly surprised when another man, who also resembled the rest of the Uchiha men I met, emerged from the house.

"You must be Sakura!" The man who appeared suddenly seemed older than Shisui, but his handsome features were still charming.

"Can you not freak her out?" Shisui sighed and pulled away the enthusiastic man, who was starting to get too close to me. "Allow me to apologize on behalf of this fossil."

"What do you mean by calling me a fossil?! I'm just a few years older than you." The oldest man out of the three threw a punch onto Shisui's arm and sent glares straight at him.

"I'm not sure if it's right to refer 8 years as 'a few years'." Sasuke joined in the fun with his signature smirk, which made me giggle at the scene in front of me.

"Whatever! Kids these days are becoming ruder." The disheartened man threw one last glare before turning back to me. "My name is Obito Uchiha, the unfortunate cousin of the two idiots behind me."

"Nice to meet you." I greeted respectfully while trying my best not to laugh at how both Sasuke and Shisui were rolling their eyes at the same time.

Seeing another side of Sasuke was making me even more fond of him.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

"Isn't Sasuke adorable in a dress? This is by far my favorite picture of him."

I glared at Obito as he showed Sakura my childhood pictures from one of the many photo albums they kept in the house.

When Itachi and I were younger, we often visit our family in Kyoto because of the family business we had here. But ever since Obito was old enough, my father had put him in charge of the Uchiha business in Kyoto. And when Shisui returned to Japan from his overseas studies in the United States, the business in the Kyoto branch became even more prosperous.

Even though Obito and Shisui were two of the best people we had in the Uchiha family, there were still instances when they were acting like complete idiots.

"It seems like little Sasuke isn't too happy being in a dress. This picture looked like he just cried." Sakura was giggling at yet another picture of mine, making me glare at the three of them even more.

"He was quite the cry baby when he was younger." Shisui's words made my eye twitched, as bad memories from my childhood came rushing to my mind. "Nobody is better at making Sasuke cry than Itachi though."

Obito was roaring with laughter, seemingly to have been reminded of the many times Itachi made me cry. I rolled my eyes at the older cousin of the two for countless time that day, as I watched him trying to stop himself from dying of intense laughter.

"Even though Itachi bullied Sasuke a lot, nobody ever doubted his love for his stupid younger brother." Shisui began telling Sakura of the time I got lost during one of my visits to Kyoto. I was about 6 years old at that time but I remembered that day as if it was just yesterday.

* * *

 _Flashback_

"Big brother, where are you?"

I was sobbing as I called out for my brother, who was nowhere to be seen.

It felt like only a few moments ago when I was playing among the rice fields with Itachi and Shisui.

But when I turned around, neither of them was there and I didn't know where I was. I roamed aimlessly through the rice fields, which all looked the same to me. Even after walking for what felt like an eternity, I still couldn't find my way back to the Uchiha house.

And the fact that there was nobody around to help me made me even more scared.

When the skies turned darker and the sun was setting, I grew tired and ended up sitting in the middle of an unfamiliar field. With my head on my knees, I was crying as I called out for my brother. It was starting to rain and together with the night winds, I was beginning to shiver in both fear and cold.

"Sasuke!"

I stopped sobbing when I heard what sounded like Itachi. The rain was getting stronger and I thought I might have misheard.

"Sasuke, where are you?!"

But I heard my brother's voice once again, and it was starting to be clearer. I stood up from the drenched soil and ran to where the voice came from. My heart leaped with joy when I saw the figure of a running boy, whom I quickly recognized to be Itachi.

"Big brother!" I ran towards Itachi, who stopped on his tracks when he heard my voice. His face, which was initially filled with worries, was reflecting his relief when he saw me.

He ran towards me and took me into his arms, holding me close to his chest as he carried me from the wet ground.

"I'm so glad to have found you safe and sound. Forgive me for not taking care of you well." Itachi's voice was filled with guilt, which made me feel bad in return.

"It's not your fault. I'm sorry for wandering around." I cried on my brother's shoulder, which never felt as reliable as it was at that moment.

I removed my face from Itachi's shoulder, meeting my brother's eyes which looked like it was starting to tear up. He smiled at me as he flicked my forehead, just like how he always did.

"Let's take you home now."

And as Itachi carried me on his back, the rain began to subside, and the night became less unbearable.

 _End of Flashback_

* * *

"And that is the end of a touching story of the love between a pair of stupid brothers."

Obito resumed his uncontrollable laughter at how Shisui ended his story telling. The earlier sentimental atmosphere was destroyed by my cousins' lack of intelligence and I gave up trying to shut them up.

But when I saw how much Sakura was enjoying her time, I guessed it was alright to be teased after all.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"They're really nice people."

"They're dumb."

I laughed at how Sasuke was glaring at the ground at the thought of his amusing older cousins. To be honest, I was surprised Sasuke didn't murder them after putting him into many embarrassing moments.

We were sitting on the veranda, facing the calm backyard of the house while sipping on some traditional Japanese tea. Obito and Shisui had to leave for a meeting at the company two hours ago and the house fell to a weird silence without them around.

And after seeing how they teased Sasuke mercilessly, I almost couldn't imagine them to be one of the most influential businessmen in Kyoto.

"Even though you were giving them murderous looks for hours, I could see you do enjoy their company." I noticed my teasing tone and thought to myself how I was influenced by the playfulness of Obito and Shisui.

Sasuke groaned in response, but his lack of argument showed that he indeed did enjoy the company of his cousins.

As we enjoyed the evening in silence, I noticed how great the weather was that day. The sunshine was warm and comfortable, and it wasn't humid at all. It was the perfect moment for an evening nap.

My eyelids grew heavy and I found myself yawning out of the blue. As sleepiness overcome me, I felt Sasuke's strong hand on my head and bringing me to rest on his broad shoulder.

"You're finally getting tired after hours of laughing at me."

I giggled as I made myself comfortable on Sasuke's shoulder, which gave me a strong sense of security. Despite the overwhelming sleepiness, I refused to fall asleep, so I could savour the rare moment of intimacy.

"I doubt I'll ever get sick of making fun of you though." I almost sounded I was mumbling, making myself much too comfortable on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Glad you're having fun." Sasuke wasn't being sarcastic and meant what he said. It almost seemed as if he actually cared.

Or did he?

My heart jumped when I felt Sasuke's hand on my head once again. He gently played with my hair, sending goose bumps all over my body. I froze in place and was fully aware that I was close to believing that I might not be the only one who was developing feelings.

I was so close to believing something I wasn't sure I should, and I slowly lifted my head from Sasuke's shoulder to see him for myself. My eyes met his dark ones, with barely any gap in between. I could see swirling emotions from his eyes, making me wonder what could be in his mind.

My own head went blank when Sasuke moved closer to me, closing the distance between us and allowing our lips to brush softly.

When Sasuke saw that I had yet to push him away, he deepened our innocent kiss. The situation was making my heart go crazy, but it didn't stop me from closing my eyes and just be in the moment.

But the moment ended in an instant when the sliding door behind us opened with a loud thud and was followed by Obito's loud voice.

"We're back! Do you g-"

He went into complete silence when he realized what he had walked into and the two of us hurriedly separated ourselves. I could feel my face burning up in embarrassment and even though Sasuke was looking away from me, I could see the deep shade of red on his ears.

"Why are you standing here like an idiot?" Shisui's voice broke the silence as he pushed Obito away to see what was going on. The situation quickly registered in Shisui's mind and he laughed at the awkwardness in the air.

"Sorry guys. It's in Obito's blood to be a cockblocker." Shisui pulled away a speechless Obito as he called out to us. "By the way, Itachi's here in Kyoto for an urgent meeting. He's asking us out for dinner."

"I'm sorry!" Obito's apology was heard from afar, followed by Shisui's series of scolding towards the older Uchiha.

Unable to see Sasuke in the eyes, I sat there in pure awkwardness. After Sasuke stood up, he held out his hand towards me. Without another word, I took his hand in mine and allowed him to help me up.

I stared at his strong back as I walked to the front gate and another blush creeped onto my face when I noticed that he was still holding onto my hand.

At that moment, one question was stuck to my mind.

Was I allowed to love Sasuke then?

* * *

Author's Note: Look forward to the next chapter to know what's going to happen during their last night in Kyoto together! And I just have to add the moment between Sasuke and Itachi because I really love the two of them and is a huge fan of their brotherly love. I'm a big fan of Obito and Shisui as well! Anyways, remember to leave a review before you go and click on follow and favorite to get notifications on this fanfic's updates. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!


	8. The Undeniable Love

Author's Note: So happy to see so many of you still supporting this fanfic! Truly glad to have you guys with me for so long. Really sorry for the slow updates but work has been piling up and I don't have much time to write. But here I am, and I hope you will like this chapter. Enjoy!

By the way, this fanfic is coming to an end. This is most probably going to be the second last chapter. But no worries, I still have other ongoing Sasuke/Sakura fanfic and I have another story I'm going to start writing soon. So, do look forward to it!

Chapter 8: The Undeniable Love

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

" _What have I done?"_

I reflected on my own stupidity as I stared onto the cup of tea I had on my hand. Even though Obito was being loud as usual, my mind couldn't process the words he was saying. The voices over the dining table were like background noises and I thought back to the earlier incident with Sakura.

I stole a glance over at Sakura who was sitting beside me, and I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved or worried that she seemed perfectly normal. She was laughing at whatever stupid joke my cousins were making and I couldn't help but think that her smile was truly captivating.

" _Great, now you're getting distracted easily like an idiot."_ I mentally scolded myself as I quickly took a sip of tea to calm my nerves down. I flinched a little when I felt a soft touch on my shoulder. I placed my cup down and turned to my side, greeted by a pair of worried eyes.

"Are you alright, Sasuke? You look troubled?" Sakura asked me, almost too innocently, and I wondered if she really had no clue what was going on in my head.

"I'm fine." I tried to sound as reassuring as I could, but Sakura didn't seem very convinced. She must have figured I wouldn't speak any further of the matter and decided to drop the topic for now.

"Don't worry, Sakura. Sasuke's probably just tired with Obito's loudness and nonsense by now." Shisui's words made Obito yell in annoyance, which made Sakura laugh and her earlier troubled look was gone.

As I looked at the woman sitting beside me, I knew for a fact that I have fallen for her too deeply to turn back.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"Today's really fun. Thanks for bringing me to meet your cousins." I thanked Sasuke as we strolled along the city, which was enveloped by the bright lights. It wasn't as crowded as Tokyo so there was a more peaceful feeling to it.

"Glad you like them." Sasuke paused a while as he looked to his side, seemingly to be trying to formulate his next words. I was slightly surprised when he turned back to meet my eyes, as I noticed a certain gentleness which I had never seen before.

"If you like, I could bring you back here sometime in the future."

Sasuke's words made me stop on my tracks, as I continued staring back at him with confusion and uncertainty. My mind wandered back to our kiss from earlier on and my heart began beating like crazy.

Was he trying to imply something behind his words or was it simply my wishful thinking?

My questions were answered soon afterwards, when Sasuke reached out for my hands and held them tightly. I saw how he was not used to what was going on between us but at the same time, I saw a clear determination in him which made my heart flutter even more.

"I know it was me who told you not to fall for me in the beginning. It was me who made it clear that this is simply going to be a business relationship between us. But-" Sasuke stopped talking for a moment and took a deep breath. His nervousness made him unusually adorable and the slight blush on his cheeks was truly a rare sight to behold.

But I kept quiet as I let him talk. Not that my thumping heart was allowing me to form coherent words at that point.

"I hate how I'm just beating about the bush here, but I'm really not used to things like this. So, you better be patient with me as I get myself together."

Sasuke's request was too sweet in its own special way and I nodded to agree to it. He took another deep breath before continuing what he was trying to tell me.

"I was confident that it's just going to be strictly business between us in the beginning because I was sure I wasn't the type that would fall in love easily. I never really knew what love felt like and I've always thought it would be something I wouldn't ever experience."

Sasuke held onto my hands tighter and brought it to rest on his chest. My blush deepened as I felt his heartbeat against my skin.

"But as I get to know you, I began feeling things that I never felt before. I found myself always wanting to meet you. I would come up with a bunch of excuses, so I can spend more time with you. Like this time round, I could've come to Kyoto for a one-day business trip, but I wanted to spend more time with you and made it into a two nights trip. I-" Sasuke's ears were bright red as he looked away from me and sighed in frustration. "I don't even know why I'm speaking so much right now. This is so not me. I-"

Before Sasuke could say another word, I pressed my lips gently on his while our hands were still intertwined. I almost chuckled at the surprised look on Sasuke's face but decided to tease him later instead.

At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be in his warmth and love.

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

I brought one of my hands to Sakura's cheek while the other wrapping her into an embrace. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears as I felt Sakura's warmth against my burning skin.

Even though I didn't want the moment to end, there were more things I had to say. Also, there were things I anticipated to hear from Sakura herself.

"They say action speaks louder than words." Sakura said, followed by an almost too innocent chuckle. "But at moments such as these, I do wish to hear certain things."

"I wonder what you're referring to." I feigned ignorance which resulted in Sakura rolling her eyes at me. I brought Sakura into a tighter embrace and rested my forehead on hers. "Maybe you can give me an example to what you're talking about?"

"If you don't know what I'm referring to, we can just forget about it then." Sakura pretended to be upset and was trying to push me away. But I knew for sure I wasn't going to let that happen.

I planted a soft kiss on Sakura's forehead before looking into her green eyes. I felt myself smiling at what I was seeing before saying the words I never thought I was capable of saying.

"I love you, Sakura."

Sakura was beaming with happiness as she kissed me on the cheeks, wrapping her arms around my neck as she nuzzled against my forehead.

"I love you too, Sasuke."

As we shared a moment of warmth amidst the city of Kyoto, I thought of how grateful I was to have met the woman in my arms. Never would I ever expected someone like me could go against my own words and fell for Sakura at the end.

"Does that mean you went against your own contract, Mr. Uchiha?" Sakura's formality made me smirk and I forgot what a tease she could be. With her arms still around my neck, I gently stroked her soft cheek as I teased back.

"I could say the same thing back at you, Ms. Haruno."

Sakura laughed a little before returning to her previous formal self, "So, what happens now? Seems like both of us went against the contract we signed on."

I pretended to be in deep thoughts before giving Sakura an answer.

"I guess as punishment for breaking the contract, we have no choice but to be stuck with each other forever."

I sealed my words with another kiss on Sakura's lips, causing her to laugh once again. I found myself laughing along, as I began to get used to foreign feelings Sakura had been making me feel.

"Will you be making a new contract to seal this new agreement?" Sakura asked playfully as we began walking back to the hotel, hand-in-hand under the moonlight.

"That seems like a good idea. That way, I can make sure you're not going anywhere." I gave Sakura's hand a squeeze, signalling that I wasn't planning to have her leave my side.

Sakura's laughter filled the night air and it was something I was loving more as time passed by. Sakura surprised me with a hug as she gave me a cheeky reply.

"I'm sorry to inform you this but I've just decided to stick to you like a parasite from now on. I won't be going anywhere even if you want me gone."

I pretended to look worried at Sakura's words, even though I was budding with happiness within, "Looks like I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Seems so." Sakura pouted before bursting with laughter once again, making me chuckle at how things turned out to be between us.

"I like the sound of that."

Walking down the streets with Sakura by my side made me wonder what the future had in hold for us. But whatever it would be, if I had Sakura with me, I knew everything would be fine.

Cause I know she was the only person who could show me what love really meant.

* * *

Author's Note: The next chapter will most probably be the last one so I hope you will be looking forward to it! I hope I can write it soon too. By the time I complete this story, I do hope to see you guys still here! Anyways, remember to drop a review before you go. Reviews make me really happy and I truly appreciate everyone's comments and opinions. Do click the follow and favorite button as well so you'll receive a notification when I upload the final chapter. Thank you so much for reading and all your support up until this point. Have a nice day and see you next time!


	9. It All Started With a Pretentious Story

Author's Note: Merry Christmas! Really sorry for keeping everyone waiting for so long! Things has been crazy in university but I'm currently having my winter break now. Hopefully I get to write more. Anyways, here we are; the last chapter of this story! Thankful for everyone who's been so nice and supportive. This chapter is my Christmas present for all of you great people out there!

Chapter 9: It All Started With a Pretentious Story

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

"Sasuke Uchiha, where in the world are you taking me?"

I had an urge to smack my own boyfriend for showing up in front of my house, putting a blindfold over my eyes and literally kidnapping me. After having lectures from 9AM until 5PM, I wanted nothing more than a nice warm bath.

"Just follow me quietly." Sasuke was being his usual commanding self and I grunted in annoyance. Despite being in a relationship with him for almost a year now, I still found that side of him frustrating.

When Sasuke stopped driving and parked his car, I was able to hear hints of where we were. The sound of waves crashing to the shores became more evident when Sasuke opened the car's door and helped me out of it.

"Why are we at the beach?" I could feel Sasuke's annoyance without even looking at him when I bombarded him with another question, even though he told me to follow him quietly. He should know by now I was not the type to listen to him obediently.

Without another word, Sasuke simply continued leading me closer to the beach and I was glad the night wasn't too cold even though it was already past sunset.

"We're here." I stopped on my tracks when I heard Sasuke's words. I suddenly became nervous because I really had no clue what to expect.

What I saw when Sasuke took off my blindfold was definitely not one of the things I had in mind.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, Sakura!"

I was taken aback by the loudness from my friends, who have all gathered by the beautifully decorated beach. There was a long table with food on top of it by the side and several tall tables closer to the sea which already had some champagne glasses on top of them. Lights were decorated on the tables, giving off a fancy and calming vibe. There were also pots of white, pink and peach flowers around the place, making the whole place looking like it was out from a fairy tale.

"W-What?" I was still in shock and wasn't even sure what's going on. I heard Ino laughing at the stupid look on my face while Naruto laughed along with her. My friends back from the martial arts school, Tenten and Rock Lee, were also there. I also spotted Neji and Shikamaru, each holding a glass of champagne in their hand.

Sasuke held onto my hand and walked to my side, making me look at him in disbelief.

"Seeing how busy you are with university these days, I knew you would forget your own birthday."

Sasuke was right as I completely forgot it was my 22nd birthday. But I never expected Sasuke would put this much effort to organize a birthday party for me. He just wasn't the romantic type.

Ino came running to me with her typical overexcited self and almost screamed at my face, "Happy birthday, Forehead! So lucky of you to have such a thoughtful boyfriend who arranged all of this for you." She then looked behind to where her own boyfriend was standing with Neji. "Shikamaru should learn a thing or two from Sasuke."

I laughed in amusement as I saw Ino hopping away to Shikamaru, seemingly demanding him to be more romantic or something among the lines. Before going around to greet my friends, I brought Sasuke in a tight hug before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for everything, Sasuke."

"Hn. It's nothing much." Sasuke's respond was as cold as usual but his actions radiated love and warmth. After giving one last hug, I went to the crowd and started greeting each and every one there.

A hectic day magically turned into a truly wonderful night. What more could I have asked for?

* * *

 **Sasuke's POV**

"Who could have thought that the infamous Sasuke Uchiha could pull off such a romantic move?"

Neji's mocking tone didn't bother me as much as it usually did. To be honest, I was proud of myself to have organized something as cheesy as a surprise birthday party.

"It is more difficult than it seems." I took a sip of champagne as my eyes followed Sakura around as she chatted and laughed with her friends back in the martial arts school. Stalking each of Sakura's closest friends was not an easy feat at all. I was lucky enough to have received help from Ino on that matter.

"It's all worth it at the end, isn't it? Look at how happy she is." Neji was being unusually nice, which was something I wasn't used to. But I smirked in triumph as I regarded his words as compliments.

As I sighed in relief that everything went well, Neji broke the silence again with an unusual question.

"Who is that girl Sakura is talking to right now?"

My eyes went back to where Sakura was and had to think for a while before answering.

"That should be Tenten, Sakura's friend from her martial arts school. If I remember right, she should be the daughter of the school's founder." I could recall Sakura always referring Tenten as the 'Weapon Master' since she was talented in weaponry.

"Why the sudden question?" I was not the type to ask questions a lot, but it was an even weirder occasion to see Neji Hyuuga bothering to ask about a stranger.

"Just curious." Neji had a weird look on his face as he continued looking at where Tenten was. Just then, Shikamaru walked over to us and was able to sense that something interesting was going on.

"It seems like the heartless Neji Hyuuga has a crush on someone." I spoke matter-of-factly to Shikamaru who almost chocked on his drink upon hearing my words.

"Neji is capable of having a crush on another human being?!" Shikamaru was both shocked and amused, which didn't make Neji feel comfortable at the least.

"Can you two shut up with your nonsense?!" Neji looked away from the centre of his attraction, failing pathetically in hiding his embarrassment.

"Whatever, we'll just assume your flushed face was due to the champagne and not because you're embarrassed from having a crush on someone else." Shikamaru looked like he wanted to continue mocking Neji but knew better than to further enrage Neji Hyuuga. "Anyways, Neji isn't the only Hyuuga here who's crushing on someone in this party."

"Wait, what?" Neji knew there was only one more member from the Hyuuga family and it was his younger cousin, Hinata Hyuuga. It was a month after I got together with Sakura that I knew she was friends with Hinata, who attended the same medical school as her. They were good friends since having more classes together in their second year of university.

Neji tried to hide his panic as he scanned through the crowd, looking for his cousin whom he was so protective of. His expression was a mix of relief and confusion when he finally caught sight of his cousin.

"Who is that blond guy Hinata is talking to?!"

I followed Neji's glare and saw that the guy Hinata seemingly have a crush on was no other than Naruto Uzumaki. Her flushed face as she listened to Naruto talk was indeed an interesting sight to see.

"That's Sakura's childhood best friend, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Uzumaki? Please don't tell me he is related to Karin Uzumaki." Neji's horrified face made Shikamaru laugh out loud, drawing attention from some other guests.

"I've always wondered the same but never actually looked into it. Maybe they are distant cousins or something." My answered made Neji panic even more as he tried to calm down and bring out his usual rationale self.

"I will look into him later." Neji looked as if he was trying to drill a hole through Naruto, which just went on to intensify Shikamaru's laughter.

I let off a chuckle before leaving to find Sakura as there was one last surprise awaiting her that night.

* * *

 **Sakura's POV**

I sighed contently as I took in the ocean's breeze.

I left the crowd of the party and walked to a quieter part of the beach, wanting some time to think to myself. Many things happened over the year and if I were to go back to the time before I met Sasuke that fateful night, I would never have expected I would be where I was.

Getting together with Sasuke had its own ups and downs, like any other relationships would have. After officially becoming a real couple, it didn't feel right for him to pay for my school fees as it was different from a business deal. It took a long time to finally persuade Sasuke to accept my new terms and conditions; to allow me to pay him back the amount of money he spent to cover my school fees once I started working as a doctor.

Sasuke was indeed a stubborn person but my stubbornness was not anything much less than his. This fact had brought both amusement and pain to our relationship, but I had no complains.

As I thought back to the countless memories I made with Sasuke over the year, I heard Sasuke himself calling my name from behind.

"Sakura, there you are."

Before I could say anything, Sasuke placed his jacket over my shoulder. The thoughtful gesture made me feel warm even more than the jacket itself.

"Thank you, Sasuke. For everything you've done for me." I was already starting to tear up as I wondered what I have done to deserve the man standing in front of me. He might not be the type to show up in front of my door with a bouquet of flowers or the type to sing me a song when I am down. But he was everything I could have asked for.

Without another word, Sasuke reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. I grew speechless when he opened it, showing an elegant diamond necklace that was more beautiful than any I had seen before.

He took the necklace out and put the box back to his pocket before putting the jewellery around my neck. I touched the sparkling pendant in disbelief, holding it on my hand to admire its beauty. I then looked back at Sasuke and at that point, I was not bothering to even stop my tears.

"Why are you so nice to me?" I began sobbing a little, bringing a smile on Sasuke's face. He wiped away my tears before kissing me softly on my forehead.

"I love you, Sakura. And if you're planning to run away, I will think of a way to bind you with another contract."

"That is not even remotely romantic, Sasuke Uchiha." I laughed in pure joy as Sasuke rested his forehead on mine, giving me yet another gentle kiss. "But I still love you. And will always do even without a contract or a business deal."

As the two of us enjoyed our little world by the oceans, away from the crowds, I basked in nothing but happiness under the moonlight.

Our pretentious 'relationship' was the beginning of our very own love story and I would walk down this tale with Sasuke's hand in mine.

THE END

* * *

Author's Note: That is the end of 'Pretentious'! Once again, many thanks to everyone's support and I hope you've been enjoying it. Don't forget to review and share with me your thoughts on this story. I am planning on starting another story but is still searching for inspiration. In the meantime, do check out some of my other stories! See you soon!


End file.
